Cleveland Browns offense finally hits the big plays in Week 12 vs Raiders

The Cleveland Browns’ offense didn’t sustain drives, were 3-of-12 (25%) on third down, and had the ball for 23:34 to the Raiders’ 36:26. But yet, we find ourselves encouraged by Shedeur Sanders’ first career start because he showed the ability to create the big play.

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 12 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Quarterback

• I was fortunate to be in Las Vegas and get to see Shedeur Sanders’ first start. Even though the offense wasn’t super sharp, there was certainly an energy to where you couldn’t take your eyes off any given snap.
• From the pocket, Sanders still needs work in knowing where to go with the football. That’s something that I think a quarterback can get better on with more reps, polishing, and faith from his teammates. So while it’s a limitation right now, my expectation is that it will improve, so I’m not worried about it right now.
• What is encouraging is the big play potential. When you have a quarterback who keeps his eyes downfield, can be on the move, and has the arm to get the ball down there, it compensates for everything else. In just a few throws, the upside was already above and beyond what Dillon Gabriel showed.
• Pro Football Focus gave Sanders a grade of 50.9, which is fair. But he gets the start at home this week against the 49ers, even though Gabriel is back from his concussion.
• One thing I’ll note is that I feel like Sanders would struggle with blitzes from the edge, but it seemed like the Raiders were trying to get their pressure up the middle, which allowed Sanders to roll out a few times.

Running Back

• Two teams haven’t been able to stop the Wildcat in the red zone for multiple touchdowns for Quinshon Judkins: the Dolphins and now the Raiders. That is mostly what worked, but everything else seemed to be met with penetration.
• Dylan Sampson caught a quick bubble screen in the second half and was gone for a 66-yard touchdown.
• Sampson was the Browns’ third-highest graded player on offense with a grade of 73.0. Judkins was the 6th-highest graded (67.3).

Wide Receiver

• Man, when I saw Jerry Jeudy’s lone catch live, we were just laughing in disbelief. First, we could see him breaking open on the crosser, and then he had daylight in front of him. And yet, he basically stops, hops, and then gets stripped from behind. It is probably the most bizarre play I’ve seen in-person, even rivaling the time we got quick snapped by Bruce Gradkowski of the Bengals for a touchdown. Jeudy graded out to a 41.4, the worst on offense by PFF.
• Besides Isaiah Bond, the receivers didn’t have notable days (although it’s hard to when there were only completions). But Bond is the one who had the beauty of a route and catch on the deep ball for 52 yards. He graded out to a 76.2 by PFF, second-highest on offense. Here is the video I shot of the play:

Tight End

• David Njoku was limited to half of the snaps, and was not targeted. Harold Fannin was the team’s top receiver again, breaking tackles on his way to a couple of first downs. Cleveland utilized four tight ends in the game, offering some extra protection for the offense at times.

Offensive Line

• Joel Bitonio was the Browns’ top-graded offensive lineman, coming in at fourth overall by PFF (72.1). Ethan Pocic (71.2) graded fair as well, but Jack Conklin (58.6), Cam Robinson (51.6), and Wyatt Teller (50.9) all had substandard days. Teller and Conklin’s pass blocking struggled in particular. At least they all made it through healthy.